Mole-trap



0.1. SCHROETER.

MOLE TRAP.

APPLicATloN FILED 1uLY 31.1920.

Patented June 21, 19.21.

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osoan` J. scHRoETEIt, ori,` sin LOUIS, MIssoURL HOLE-TRAE?.

Specification of Letters Patent. 'Patente-d Ju11e21, 1921,

Application filed-July 31, 19,20.E SerialNo. 400,457. Y

To ZZ whom t may concern: g

Be it known that I, OSCAR J. Sonaon'rnn, a. citizen of the United States,4 residing at St.. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in-Mole-Traps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such aswill enable others 'skilled in theartto which itr appertains to make anduse the same. 1

This invention relates to animal traps,y and particularly to mole traps of the type 1n which a spring actuated member provided with prongs or spikes isv reciprocatingly mounted on a stationaryframe or support# ing structure and is heldin an elevated position by a latch or trigger mechanism that 1s adapted to be tripped by a moleltraveling through a furrow in the ground at'thefpomt where the trap is located. Y

The main object of my invention is toproT vide a trap ofA the kind referred to that can be set bysimply moving the pronged member or the equivalent part of the trap upwardly, the trigger' mechanism being so constructed that it will automatically engage and lock said pronged member in its raised position. By `constructing the trigger mechanism in vthis manner I simplify the operation of setting the trap, due to the fact that it is not necessary for the user to grasp any element vof the trigger mechanism and manually move it into engagement with the pronged member of the trap. I also reduce the liability lof the user being injured during the operation of setting the trap, as often occurs with the mole traps of this general design which are now in use.

The figure of the drawings is a front elevational view of a mole trap constructed in accordance with my invention; Y

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates two vertically-disposed uprights that are combined with a top cross piece 2 and an intermediate cross piece 3, so as to forma supporting frame for a vertically-reciprocating member A which `is provided with prongs or spikes 4. The member A is provided with guide rods 5 that project upwardly through the top cross piece 2 of the supporting frame and whose upper ends are connected to a cap piece 6 that is secured to the upper end of a contractile spring 7 whose lower end is fastened to the intermediate cross piece 3 of the supporting frame.

usine the trap the lower end portions of the uprights lv ofthe supporting frame are forced into the ground-Vat `such a point that they willstraddle or be arranged: on opposite sides of a mole furrow,` and the pronged memberA isthen moved upwardly soastostretch the spring 7 vor-place it under tension, said member A being. held in its elevated'position by a trigger mechanism which is soy constructed that it will automatically engage and lock the member A when said member reaches a point ini proximity to the `top cross piece?J ofthe supporting frame.

The trigger mechanism just referred to consists of.` ar locking member B` pivotally connected at S to one of the uprights l of the supporting. frame,fand `a latch C pivotally connected atf9" to .said uprightand provided at one" end with a` 'notchrlO thatlis adapted tofreceive the lower end of the locking member 'B= and atits4 opposite end with a portion 111 whichl 'is adapted to be engaged and moved upwardlyr byfa mole traveling through the furrow straddled by the supporting framerof the trap. The locking member B consists of a lever provided at its upper end with a laterally-projecting portion or offset portion 8al through which the pivot 8 passes, and said lever is provided at a point slightly to one sideV of said pivot with a shoulder 12 that is adapted to serve as a stop or abutment against which the underside of the pronged member bears when said member is in its operative or elevated position, as shown in full lines in the drawing. Y

'When the trap is inoperative'or is sprung the parte of same occupy the position shown in broken lines in the drawing, the pronged member A being in proximity to the intermediate cross piece 3 of the supporting frame. and the lower end `of the locking lever B resting upon a curved surface or cam face 13 on the latch C. To set the trap it is only necessary to pull the member A upwardly, theI upward movement of said member causing the locking lever B to swing into such a position that the lower end of said lever enters the notch 10 in the latch C. whereupon said lever will be locked in the position shown in full lines in the drawing, thus causing the member A to be locked in its elevated position. The upper end portion of the locking lever B is so arranged that it will be engaged by the pronged member A during the upward movement of said member A in such a way that the portion of said lever B1 on which the shoulder 12 is formed rst swings outof the path of movementv of.

-weighted or Ais so balanced that the'right hand end portionll of Same is heavier than the portion of saidilatch in whichthe notch 10 is formed, it being preferable to construct the latch in this manner so as-to insure said latch, moving' upwardly into engagement with the ,lower end ofthe locking leverB when said lever Bj swings inwardly, due to the upward movement of the prongedlmember A. yVVhen thetrap isset, as shown in Jfull-lines in the drawing, an upward movement vof the portionll of the latch C, caused byy a mole traveling through a Vvur-row adj af centgtowh'ichl the trap is' arranged, will cause the. notchedend of said latch lto. swing downwardy, thereby releasing the lookin lever B. s soon-assa1d lever is release from the latch C the spring 7' forces the pronged member A downwardly. To set the trapitisonly Anecessary to move the pronged member A upwardly, said member becommg locked automatically by the lever B and latch C ,without the necessity ofV the user manipulating any part of the trigger mechanism.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desirerto secure by Letters Patent, is:

supporting frame that is adapted to be ar ranged in the ground, a V,Spring-actuated, pronged member VQreciprocatingly' mounted in said frame," a lever providedat its upper connectedto` said frame, said lever having A 1`A trap, comprisingra vertically-disposed Y end with an'oilset portion that is pivotally a shoulder that is adapted to move into the path-of "said pronged member, a latch pivotally-connectedl to said frame in proximity to the ground and provided at one end with a-camfsurfa'ce' on which the lower end of said lever bears whenlthe trapfis inoperative,a notch..in:said latch in proximity to said cam surface.- for vreceiving the lowerend of said lever when'the trap is set,1andmeans at the opposite'endloffsaid latch that is adapted to be moved upwardly? so as to release the lower endgof said lever.- i 

